NFL free agency ushers in new year

The Associated Press In this Oct. 13, 2013, file photo, Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware talks with teammates while stretching during warm ups before an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Arlington, Texas.

For those who believe the NFL season ends in February with the Super Bowl and does not start up again until training camps in the summer or preseason in August, you’re missing so much in between.

The NFL’s new year and free agency period got underway at 4 p.m. March 11, and with it we were again reminded football is indeed a business.

I got to thinking about the business side of football for two reasons this week. First, and most obvious, the start of free agency and listening to sports talk radio on my drive to and from work every day.

The second, however, came from one of the social media outlets I use. A saw an old acquaintance of mine from Illinois had mixed feelings when he saw the Chicago Bears had signed safety M.D. Jennings, formerly of the Green Bay Packers and a fierce divisional rival.

His post read, and I quote:

“For all my fellow Bears fans, signing a former Packer, not sure how I feel about it yet.”

His post made me chuckle a bit.

I felt his reaction was more visceral than anything and it got me thinking.

If you’re a fan of the Bears, does it matter that Jennings was formerly a member of the Packers? If he can help the team win football games, who cares?

The NFL is a business, first and foremost. For instance, take a look at just a few of these notable examples of popular players released, cut or otherwise removed from their teams’ rosters.

The Dallas Cowboys released defensive end DeMarcus Ware, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released cornerback Darrelle Revis and the Bears cut popular kick returner Devin Hester.

Why is this?

It is a combination of things, actually.

Age is certainly a consideration. Ware and Hester are older than 30, and with age and experience come higher pay scales. Being older than 30 is also a time when many believe players begin to see their levels of production decline.

Football is for the young man, after all.

Injuries and concerns about future production most certainly played a role, too.

Ware saw his production drop last year with nagging injuries and Revis, while just 28, suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2012 and will always be looked at with concern even though he earned a Pro Bowl spot in 2013.

Even my New Orleans Saints were not immune to having to make business decisions. They released several popular defensive players, like Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith and Malcolm Jenkins.

All were a part of the Saints’ 2009 Super Bowl season, but had a combination of injuries, age or unfavorable contract situations working against them.

New Orleans even released the versatile running back and fan favorite Darren Sproles, who was widely considered one of the greatest free agent acquisitions in 2011.

No team can escape the inevitable.

The point here is the NFL is a business, and a big one at that. When the stakes are this high and the games and the league so large, you cannot get emotionally attached to the players. They’re just hired guns, after all.